Given the expected upcoming bad weather – a Nor’easter is slated to touchdown in the next 48 hours – along with ongoing fuel shortages and infrastructure damage to many flooded buildings, officials said that the return of full power by the end of this week might be wishful thinking.

As reported by the NYPost:

Wind gusts expected to reach 50 mph by Wednesday could wreak havoc in areas such as Queens, Staten Island, Westchester and Long Island that are dependent on overhead lines.

“We are trying to finish up by [week’s end, but] especially with the storm coming, we don’t know what that will bring,” said a Con Edison veep, John Miksad.

About 97,000 Con Ed customers in New York City are still without power, according to the utility’s latest figures. That doesn’t include about 19,000 customers on Queens’ battered Rockaway Peninsula, which is served by the Long Island Power Authority.

As for the state, about 657,000 customers remain without electricity, down from 2.2 million Tuesday when Sandy struck.

“I will hold the electric companies totally accountable, 100 percent,” for what gets done when, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Officials warned those without power to be careful with their candles and not go to sleep with them still burning.

Long Island still faces a grim picture, with about 316,000 customers out of power with a restoration target of this coming Sunday.

There were about 85,000 customers without power in Westchester and another 18,000 in Orange County and 35,000 in Rockland County.